"Coverage of well-known females who have mental illness or suffer from depression is notoriously abusive,” she told Sky News. “Female celebrities get lynched in the street, they get mocked and buffooned."

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O’Connor, who praised the public’s compassion towards the late Robin Williams, feels that high-profile women are not regarded in the same way.

The star highlighted Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes as celebrities that have had their health troubles played out in the media but says that if they were men, it would not have been the case.

"When males in the public eye are dealing with the same thing, coverage is much more compassionate as it should be," she said. "I've been through that myself and it's really appalling."

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The singer, who is releasing her tenth album I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss , continued: "It would be better if people learnt out of this why a man like that would be driven to that. Stigma is the most enormous reason why people go that far.

“When you admit that you are anything that may be mistakenly or otherwise perceived as mentally ill, you know you'll get treated like dirt so you don't tell anybody and that's why people die."